Northern Lights Strain Review: Best Indica Cannabis To Grow?

If you’re a cannabis grower looking for a ticket to an abundant harvest, you should consider the Northern Lights strain. It is an indica-dominant strain with an impressive couch-lock body high. 

But beyond being a high yielder and super potent strain, there are many other interesting aspects of Northern Lights. It’s little surprise that many growers keep talking about it. 

In the rest of this article, you will learn about the genetics, flavour profile, effects, growing requirements, and overall verdict on the famous Northern Lights. 

With such information, you can be sure if it’s a strain you want to grow and smoke. Let’s get started. 

Key Takeaways

But if you’re interested in cultivating this strain, there’s more to be interested in. First, you’d have to choose between the photoperiod or auto-flowering feminised variant of the Northern Lights. 

Autoflowering cannabis seeds (or auto seeds) develop into weed plants that yield less than regular cannabis seeds. However, they offer quick growth from seedling to flowering in 7–10 weeks. 

You can choose the Northern Lights autoflower if you’re a novice gardener and want quicker results. 

This variant still possesses all the features and characteristics of the original Northern Lights strain, except that it has been bred to switch into flowering without a change in light cycles. 

At Aussie Hemp Seeds, we provide the auto variant of Northern Lights, which this post will lean towards. 

Genetics and Lineage

Northern Lights (NL) is an indica-dominant weed strain. There can be traces of sativa in its genetic makeup. This means 95% indica and 5% sativa. The original NL is a result of crossing the Afghani and Thai landraces. 

It became one of the prominent strains in the 1980s and an award-winning Indica that took the Cannabis Cup in 1990. The strain has even been voted best Indica on multiple occasions. 

The Northern Lights has become the base for many popular cannabis hybrids because its good qualities have been passed down through many generations.

Over time, different versions of the Northern Lights strain have appeared, each with its own unique features and slight differences in smell, taste, and effects. 

These differences have created several types or “varieties” of Northern Lights, like Northern Lights #1, Northern Lights #5, and Northern Lights #9.

There are many things to love about this weed. Let’s start with its appearance, aroma, and flavour. 

Appearance, Aroma & Flavour 

When you come across a Northern Light marijuana plant, especially from its early flowering stage, you will notice vibrant shades of green, often with hints of purple or blue.

They generally grow short and stout and flower quickly, being quite pest-resistant.  The buds were light lime green with orange hairs and covered with a fine layer of white hairs and crystals. 

One interesting fact about Northern Lights is that it is easily recognisable, thanks to its flavour profile and aromatic attributes. 

It delivers a smooth, earthy aroma with a bit of sweetness. As you smoke the buds, you may taste a little citrous or skunk. 

Given its indica characteristics, the effect of the high translates to a mellow, full-body buzz. 

Effects and Benefits 

The moderate THC content of Northern Lights autoflower seeds means that the buds will deliver a mellow high for calm effects. It’s a fairly potent strain. 

This is the kind of weed you take in the evenings. When you smoke the buds, the effect gives you a full-body, couch-lock high. 

This makes it a popular choice for those looking to unwind or combat insomnia.

On the grower’s side, the benefits are that it grows faster for quick harvest, which allows for more growing indoor cycles.

The flowers are fat, which means the cannabis plant doesn’t stretch too much. But there’s still more to the growing side, which we will discuss in detail in the next section. 

Growing Northern Lights Cannabis Strain 

Northern Light Blue is a good option for beginner growers who want to try growing Indica-dominant strains. 

This plant is tough and resistant to pests and mould, making it easier to grow. It does well both indoors and outdoors, and no matter where it’s grown, it provides great yields.

How to Germinate Northern Lights Weed Seed

The most popular germination method for marijuana seeds is the paper towel method. 

Step 1: Place a damp kitchen towel on a flat surface.

Step 2: Space your seeds a few centimetres apart on the towel, then cover them with a second damp kitchen towel. Make sure both towels are moist but not soaking wet.

Step 3: Check the seeds every 12 hours, but avoid overhandling them or their roots.

Step 4: When the white root tips are 1-2 cm long, carefully transfer the seeds to soil pots with the taproot facing downward. 

You can plant sprouted seeds immediately or wait a day or two for any remaining seeds to catch up.

Growing Environment and Techniques

Many things come into the picture when you consider the environment and technique for your cannabis cultivation. First, it starts with the type of weed seed you’re growing. 

Assuming you’re working with an auto-flowering variant of the Northern Lights, the next thing you want to think about is growing either indoors or outdoors. 

Fortunately, the Northern Lights are ideal for both conditions. We’ve created a separate guide for growing cannabis outdoors in Australia so you can learn more. 

Meanwhile, autoflowers tend to be more sensitive to synthetic ionic nutrients than photoperiods. So, seasoned organic matter, microbes, organic feeds, and salt-based nutrients are better for keeping the plants healthy.

You also have to know when it’s time to harvest so you can achieve a quality yield from the NL marijuana plant. 

Yield and Flowering Time

With the little effort you’ll put into growing these autoflower seeds, you can expect a bounty yield. It doesn’t matter if you’re growing indoors or outdoors. 

Under the right conditions, Northern Lights auto-flowering plants will give you 500-550 gr per m2 indoors and 170-220 gr per plant outdoors. 

The Northern Lights auto is ideal for quick cultivation cycles. It moves from seed to harvest in about 10–11 weeks. 

Final Thoughts

Growing cannabis is fun. If you’re new to the whole thing, you can’t go wrong starting with the Northern Light strain—indoors or outdoors. 

Some growers are complaining that this strain is becoming hard to find, but at Aussie Hemp Seeds, we’re proud to be a leading online marketplace for high-quality cannabis seeds in Australia. 

We carefully handpicked and bred this Northern Lights Auto strain so that you get bountiful buds to harvest when due. They are available with ten seeds (1X ten packs) for each strain, each costing $100.

FAQs

What Does Northern Lights Smell and Taste Like?

The Northern Lights marijuana strain has distinctive earthy, piney, and sweet flavours with a mix of spicy and citrous notes​.

How potent is the Northern Lights Strain?

Northern Lights is a fairly potent strain. It typically contains between 16 and 22% THC. It delivers a mild body high that makes you feel super relaxed and also helps with sleep. 

Is Northern Lights Weed Strain Easy to Grow?

Yes, Northern Lights is considered a beginner-friendly strain with fast flowering times and minimal maintenance requirements, making it ideal for both novice and experienced growers​.